I
encourage everyone to separate the Ten Commandments part of the Bible from the
rest, which is largely a history book.

THEMES OF THIS ARTICLE

1.
The Twelve Commandments are a set of common sense rules that are extremely
important for everyone today.They
are not a “religion”, as some believe.However, they are the basis for the Hebrew and Christian legal systems
that today govern most Western nations.

2.
The Twelve Commandments are about loving others properly.They are not just prohibitions and “rules”.They also may help us understand the
grand plan of the Universe and how we fit into it, so that we may live happily.

3.
Modern societies ignore the Ten Commandments at their great peril.In other words, the rules work very
well, and need to be taught widely or a society easily falls into moral decay, and degenerates into tyranny and lawlessness.

4.
The Commandments can be interpreted in different ways.In other words, their meaning is not
always simple.Thus, it is worth
discussing and thinking about them clearly.

5.
One can evaluate a person, a community or an entire society by how well they
follow these Commandments.

6.
Two other commandments may be added to the current Ten Commandments of Moses to
deal with modern problems.They
are 1) Do not rape, and 2) Do not start wars.These are discussed at the end of this article.

Let
us now discuss the Commandments one by one.

Note:
In different translations and traditions, such as the Talmudic, the Augustinian,
and the Philonic traditions, the Commandments are not
in the same order.While perhaps
confusing, this is not too important because the ideas matter, not the exact
order of the Commandments.

THE TWELVE COMMANDMENTS

I. YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BESIDES
THE LORD, THY ONE GOD

Here
are two meanings of this all-important Commandment:

1. There
is only one Source, one Creation and/or one God.This
aspect is about the integrity of our Universe and how to worship.In this case, the word integrity means oneness, wholeness and
completeness.The Commandment
means that in one Source or idea is
found everything you will ever need.

2. Put God
first in your life, above all.The Commandment is about your
priorities.The idea is expressed
in the New Testament of the Bible in the statement, “Seek first for the Kingdom
of heaven, and all else will be added thereto.”All else in your life must be secondary, in other words, to
the concept that ONE Source or God rules all things.

Implications:

1.We are all subsidiary to the grand scheme
of the Universe called God or the Creation.

2. We are all brothers and sisters.A
deeper meaning of the First Commandment is that since there is only one central
God or Source or Father, all people on earth are related.In other words, we share our humanity
with every other person on earth, no matter who they are.In this regard, we are all brothers and
sisters, and we are all children of the same Source or Father.

3. This Commandment is difficult for Hindus and
some others who worship multiple “gods”.However, I believe there
is really no conflict.The Hindu
“gods” are more like our Greek mythological “gods” such as Zeus and others.They are humans, basically, who are
powerful and perhaps more advanced than us.However, they are not the ONE SOURCE or the ONE FATHER.Judaism brought forth a new, higher
idea, which is that above all the “god” in Hinduism, Buddhism, Greek mythology
and many other pagan religions, there is yet a higher Source or God, who is
One.

4. Does this mean there is a man (or woman) sitting
on a throne someplace ruling everything and everyone?Some
teach this, but my understanding is that the answer is no.The Bible does say things like “God was
jealous”, or the “wrath of God”.These and other statements make it sound like God is a human, with
emotions, just as we have.However, I believe these statements were made to help people understand
God, rather than being actual physical descriptions of God.

I believe God is a principle, or a power, or an emanation
of light.Could there be a “wrath” of such a God?Yes, it is possible that if you disobey
certain laws of physics, for example jumping off a high building, then the
“law” hits you hard and you fall down hard.

Could
such a God be “jealous”?Yes. One
meaning of the word jealous,
according to the dictionary, is “afraid of losing something of value”.It is possible that God, the Emanation
or Love principle, loves us so much that He or She is afraid of losing us to
sin or spiritual death.

In
other words, He or She wants us to behave in certain ways, and to mature and
work our way back to a high level of understanding and practice of good works
and love.Because of this, He or
She may be jealous - that is,
somewhat fearful - that we might go astray.

II. YOU SHALL NOT MAKE ANY GRAVEN
IMAGES OR IDOLS OF GOD, AND YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP ANY IDOLS OR OBJECTS, NOT IN
THE HEAVENS, THE LAND OR THE SEAS

This
interesting Commandment is telling us that this God is invisible, and cannot be
worshipped like the other ones with statues, golden calves, or other
things.In other words, it means:

1. Do not
worship graven images, which are pictures or photos, and do not worship idols,
which are objects.These can be so-called religious images
and idols, or secular ones such as large buildings, beautiful or talented women
or men (either photos or living people), money, and other modern “idols”.

2. The
proper way to “worship” is thus not a material style of worship. Thus,
“worshipping” the family, money, the body, sex, love, children, friends,
spouses, lovers, occupations, cars, vacations, homes, or anything else is
always incorrect.Even worshipping
the angels, or the image of Jesus or Buddha, is wrong.

This
was a new concept in the time of Moses, as every other nation and group
worshipped many confusing gods, each of whom served in a different area such as
agriculture, the weather, financial support, love, and so forth.Some older religions in Africa, Asia
and South America still worship many gods.The Second Commandment is thus a great simplification of
religious concept and worship.

The secular humanists particularly dislike this
Commandment. They want to worship the earth, for
example, or the environment, or perhaps worship the animals, or people who need
their help.Some worship sex, or
perhaps friendship, above all else.They dislike being told that these are all secondary to worshipping the
One God, the Source Of All Life, or Creation.

I
understand their desire, but they don’t realize that all the things they
treasure and value so highly are products of the One God.If one truly worships the One God, one
does appreciate the environment, the animals, and all else.

Implication. The emphasis in today’s modern society
on making a lot of money, for example, or on appearance, or on having a lot of
friends, or even on saving the earth, is wrong. The
emphasis must be on living in accordance with the principles outlined in this
article, and that alone.That must
be the standard, not so-called modern standards of happiness, wealth or
“goodness”.

This
does not mean that one should be selfish or unconcerned with one’s appearance,
or that it is fine to pollute the earth.It simply means to keep your priorities clear, and things will work out
for the animals, the environment, and for you as well.I realize this is a difficult idea, and
I love the environment and the animals.But this is different from worshiping them as my God.

III. YOU SHALL NOT MISUSE THE NAME OF
GOD, OR TAKE THE NAME OF GOD IN VAIN

This
means that if you swear an oath to God, you must mean it.The word to swear, as used in the Bible, means giving your powerful intent and commitment to something.This is an older use of the word.In modern times, the meaning of the
word to swear has been reversed, in
fact, to mean the use of coarse or slang language.This is most unfortunate in some ways.

This
Commandment is about your integrity of intent, and that you honor the name of
the Creator or Creation.

Why
is this important?For at least
three reasons:

1. God
should be the center of your Universe or thoughts at all times.The
name should therefore be a holy word and everything connected to Him must be
praised, loved and lauded.Mocking
or lying using the name of God, therefore, is a bad idea.

2. Using the name of God to cause harm to others is
also a terrible thing to do.This is sometimes called satanic, in Christian thought.It is when someone uses the name or
concept of God, Source or Creation to hurt others.

Someone
might say “God made me do it”, after doing something evil.This is just one small example of
taking the name of God in vain.God never commands anyone to harm another, although it is okay to harm
another in self-defense only.

3. At a
practical level, swearing an oath to God was one of the few ways that society
had and still has to assure itself that a person is telling the truth.It is
fine to tell a judge, a jury or just a friend that “I am telling you the
truth”.However, invoking the name
of God or the Creation is a further stamp of approval, or proof, that you mean
what you say.This is why the
punishment for taking the name of the Lord in vain was death.

For
example, swearing an oath to God is required in America when someone is a
witness in a court case.It is
also required of all elected leaders in America at the federal and state
levels.They are required to place
their right hand on a Bible and pledge their allegiance to the United States
and the Republic for which it stands.They must also swear to uphold, defend and protect the Constitution of
The United States.

Sadly,
many elected officials today do not like the Constitution and they seek to
destroy it.This is a horrible
contradiction and lie that these politicians must live with.They will someday have to answer for
their attempts to circumvent and destroy the US Constitution, and for their
mocking of the name of God.If
they do not like America, they should go and live elsewhere, or at least they
should not become elected officials in the government.

4. Another
meaning of this Commandment is that one must not “use” God or the Creation for
greedy, lustful, violent, or other nasty purposes.Many
people do this, even preachers, at times.This is all the misuse or abuse of name of God, and what it stands for. This is an abuse of the greatest power
the love that exists.

Liberals,
secular humanists, and atheists dislike this Commandment, as it imparts a
special meaning to the name of God or the Creation.They believe that God is not important or perhaps even fake,
so why bother making the name important?

They
have a point, in fact.If one does
not believe in a God, then why bother with swearing oaths to God?In fact, there is no point.

Politicians
should probably be asked if they will swear an oath to God before being forced
to do so to take office.However,
if they won’t swear the oath, then they should not be considered for the job in
the first place, as they are probably not trustworthy men or women.America and most other nations no
longer consider this important, but it is most important if one wants honest
and efficient government.Looks
and words matter little, in comparison with honesty, integrity and pure
intent.I hope we learn this soon.

IV. YOU SHALL CELEBRATE THE SABBATH
OR SEVENTH DAY OF REST EACH WEEK, AND KEEP IT HOLY

The
meanings of this Commandment, I believe, are many:

1. Take a break from your daily “grind” or daily
routine each week.This is a very healthful idea for most
people, though not all require it.Thus, the Sabbath Commandment may simply be about rest, regeneration,
repairing the body and the mind, and even repairing machinery, tools,
automobiles and other things one uses all week long.

2. Spend a day or time each week praising God, not
just laying around, reading the newspaper, or watching random television, for
example.

This
is about setting aside a day each week, at the very least, to focus on God
rather than on secular matters that so easily fill up one’s time.

3. Elsewhere in the Bible we are told that God
rested on the Seventh day, and so should we. Thus, this Commandment
may have to do with the cycles of activity and rest, in which a day of rest on
the seventh day is critical for completion, breaking patterns, and balancing
out a person’s life.

This
Commandment is a reminder that the non-stop, rat race lifestyle is not
ideal.The antidote is that once a
week, stop your normal material life routine and dedicate the day to God or to
the Creation.This Commandment
compels us to slow down at least once a week.A nice idea, if possible, is not to drive the car except for
necessities, and don’t spend the day on the telephone or email, and skip Facebook and all social media sites, as well.If you use the computer, use it for
spiritual purposes only.

4. Religious people will say that the Sabbath
Commandment is more than this.The Hebrew Bible specifies what must be
done and what must be left undone on the Sabbath.

However,
this is a source of controversy.Some readers know that one reason Jesus was crucified was for healing
people on the Sabbath, and doing other things on the Sabbath that were
forbidden by the priests of the day.

Jesus
understood the Old Testament differently, and perhaps wanted to remind people
that the Sabbath Commandment is more about common sense and love, and not about
following mere rules and regulations, especially if people are harmed by such
rules and regulations.

I
once worked for a wise man who operated a special summer camp for
children.On the Sabbath, the
children had to slow down, everyone took showers are dressed up a little, the
vehicles were repaired, and the counselors and staff relaxed.He told me that if God had not ordained
the Sabbath, we would need to invent one.

V. HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER, THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG UPON
THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE

Some
interpret this Commandment to mean that you must love and care for your
parents, even if they abuse or hate you.

I
don’t think it means this.It
means that one should respect
parents, no matter what they do, and honor
the fact that your parents brought you forth on this earth plane and gave
you life and basic sustenance.For
this, be forever grateful.

I
think this Commandment is really about living
in integrity with all that gave you life on earth.Ido not think
it is about:

A.
Visiting Mom or Dad every few months or weeks.

B.
Talking to them on the telephone for an hour a week.

C.
Even letting them into your home if they are very disruptive, although it is
considered a blessing in many cultures.

D.
Letting them be around your children, if they are a very bad influence.

E.
Supporting them financially, although this is also considered a blessing in
most cultures.

F.
It does not even mean you must be on speaking terms with an abusive or
dangerous parent.

However,
I think it means to forgive them for anything that they did, and let them go,
rather than hold grudges and dishonoring them in your mind, in your speech or
in your actions.

Honor the Father in Heaven, and the Mother Earth. Some spiritual texts interpret this Commandment to
mean that one must honor and love the Father in Heaven and the Mothering Energy
of the earth that brings forth our food and water.Some will disagree with this concept, but it is another
interpretation of this Fifth Commandment.

VI. YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER

This
Commandment is often misunderstood.It means you shall not take another life without good cause.In this sense, it is about your integrity
with the force called life.

While
the Commandment sounds absolute and all-inclusive, other parts of the Bible
make it clear that it is not.Killing another person is horrible, but the Bible elsewhere permits one
to kill another who is harming you first.It also allows killing an enemy in a war situation.It also allows killing animals for food
and sacrifice.It may even allow a
killing to end the life of another person who is in severe pain and who is
terminally ill.So if you kill in
self-defense, for example, and for this reason only, it is not considered
murder.

I
often hear that Jewish and Christian people are hypocritical because they
engage in wars in which people are killed, even though the Bible forbids
it.However, the Bible does not
forbid killing in self defense or during wartime.As to which wars are justified, the Bible does not specify
these.

A modern example. One can argue that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are not about the
self defense of the NATO nations, so the soldiers should not be there from
nations that worship the God of the Jews and Christians.However, this is not true because these
nations are havens for terrorists who continue to attack and kill those in the
Western nations.So the war and
killing is justified, at least on Biblical principles.

What about abortion?The
Commandment does not mention abortion, specifically, although it is said to be
sinful elsewhere in the Bible.This is the main reason why some women, in particular, do not like the
Hebrew or Christian Bibles.

This
is unfortunate because the Commandments are designed for many situations, and
they are very good general rules.In fact, abortion has been a subject of debate by both Jewish and
Christian scholars.The debate
rages on, and I won’t solve it here.

As
for whether it is murder, I am told that souls begin to enter a human fetus
within several weeks of conception.Killing the baby, however, does not kill the souls.I am told they just move on to someone
else.Another milestone occurs at
8 to 12 weeks, after which the fetus is absolutely complete, with a brain and
heart and two hands, etc.From
then on, it just grows larger and larger until it is born into this world.

On
the other hand, allowing a faulty pregnancy to continue occasionally kills the
mother, who may have other small children to care for.Does that make sense?

On
the other hand, is it right to terminate a life just because it is inconvenient
or it will affect a lady’s figure?I think not.

On
the other hand, when the Bible was written, abortion was a very unclean
practice that usually involved sticking sharp objects into a woman’s
uterus.It often killed the
mother, as well as the baby.

On
the other hand, many women who have had abortions will tell you that having an
abortion leaves emotional scars that may last a lifetime.Abortion also carries some medical
risk, especially late term or third trimester abortions.

On
the other hand, the ability to carry a child and give birth is a sacred gift.Sadly, the sacredness of life, and the
sacredness of womanhood is basically gone in modern societies.Women are told they are just like men,
and having children is just a sort of side issue.This horrible attitude is responsible for thousands of sick
children today.I would urge men
and women to consider all this, and stop looking at the issue as all black or
all white.

What about capital punishment, also called the death penalty?This is also a little confusing, although not if you read the Bible
carefully.The Bible specifies the
punishment of death for certain crimes including rape, murder, perjury, and
taking the name of God in vain (this means swearing an oath on a Bible, and
saying “so help me God”, and then acting otherwise).So obviously, the Bible permits the death penalty, and this
is not considered a violation of the Sixth Commandment.

I hope
this clarifies the Sixth Commandment as respecting
life, first and foremost.

Another meaning of this Commandment.One
can also murder another’s spirit, murder an interest of a child, for example,
in school, or murder the self-esteem and dignity of another.Therefore, an expanded understanding of
this Commandment is that one must not kill the Spirit, kill the intellect, or
kill the dignity of another.

Murdering yourself.This
Commandment also applies to oneself.It is the prohibition against suicide, or intentionally taking one’s own
life.It might also imply that one
must not murder one’s own body slowly with deficient food, not enough rest and
sleep, the use of drugs and alcohol, too much work or even too much sex.

One
can also, in effect, murder one’s own Spirit, self-esteem and dignity through
destructive thoughts or deeds.

This
principle can be applied to all the Commandments, not just this one.One can steal from oneself, one can
“adulterate” oneself in various ways, one can dishonor the Father and Mother
energies in oneself, and so on.

VII. YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY

At
the simplest level, adultery means sex outside of one’s marriage.This is another common sense rule.It is about helping to maintain the
integrity of the marriage vow.

Some
misinterpret the Seventh Commandment to mean that one must not have sex unless
and until one is married.However,
that is not the strict definition of adultery.Adultery is specifically sex with someone who is not your
marriage partner.So if one is not
married, this Commandment technically does not apply to you.Sex before marriage, in the Christian
context, is fornication, another sin according to many people, but not one that
is directly related to this Commandment.

The
Seventh Commandment also does not say that one must not look upon a woman with
lust.This excellent idea came
from Saul or Paul, a disciple of Jesus.

A deeper meaning to the Seventh Commandment. Adultery, like the word adulterate,
means to corrupt or ruin.A
deeper meaning to this Commandment is that one must not corrupt anything.In other words, do not adulterate
anything you do or have.

This
expanded meaning makes good sense.It is not limited to married people, but applies to everyone and applies
to all of our life, not just marriages.For example, it means do not corrupt, ruin or adulterate your children
by spoiling them or lying to them, perhaps.It means do not corrupt your business by lying to your
customers or mistreating them in some way.It means do not corrupt your body by eating poor quality
food or not resting enough, and so on. In this regard, the Seventh Commandment may be about
preserving integrity and wholesomeness in all things, persons and situations.

VIII. YOU SHALL NOT STEAL

This
is an important Commandment in many ways.It is a very broad statement that means you shall not appropriate
anything, or take anything, that does not belong to you.This includes real tangible property,
intellectual property, kidnapping a child, taking a life for no good reason, or
even taking or degrading the dignity or the self-esteem of another.It can apply to stealing exam answers
to get a better grade, and of course to stealing money or objects.

In legal terms, this Commandment sets down or
implies the principle of ownership of private property.This
is a basic legal concept in Western society, although it is under attack in
many Western nations.

Private
property rights are not a common idea in most of the world with its dictators,
or those that have communist, military or socialistic governments.In these nations, for example, the
government regularly steals from the people and sets a terrible example that
the people often follow.

“Redistributing
the wealth”, a popular phrase today, easily degenerates into plain stealing
from some to give to others whom the leader favors.

This
can be a difficult Commandment for many people to follow if they are parasites
on society.Some live by cheating
and stealing from others.I would
include in this group anyone who charges too much money for a product or
service, even if it is perfectly legal.I would also include anyone who is part of a licensed monopoly group
such as doctors, lawyers, and union tradesmen.All have “legal arrangements” that allow them to steal from
others, although it is technically legal.In other words, they do not earn their living, but rather they receive
certain “benefits” as a result of their monopoly position in society.

Others
who routinely take from others legally are those on government welfare. They receive “perks” in the form of tax
breaks, food stamps, social security disability, unemployment benefits and
more.The reason these are
stealing, in one sense, is that the money for these programs is taken by force
from the general population.If the
funds were given freely, as in private charity, then such benefits would not be
stealing.

I am
not advocating the end of all government programs, but there is a problem when
any government or power takes the people’s money by force.It always engenders anger and
resentment, and often cheating and lying.Private charity and private welfare worked extremely well in America
until the government ruined it by taking over the welfare system during the 20th
century.There is no need for
government welfare, I maintain.

Another
group that routinely steals from the public are institutions such as the
Federal Reserve system, the banks, and others who mystify money and take
advantage of people’s ignorance in this area.

Other
ways people cheat and steal things range from simple shoplifting to filing
false income tax reports, which cheats or steals from the government.Others cheat on health insurance forms
and in other ways.Inflating the
currency by the governments is a horrible type of stealing of the people’s wealth,
and so forth and so on.So this is
not an easy Commandment to follow, and it is a very important one.

IX. YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS

This
is another complex and difficult Commandment to follow.I interpret this to mean that one should not
lie at any time, about anything, unless it is to preserve your life or
property.In other words,
this Ninth Commandment is about integrity with your speech and your
thoughts.

All
the Commandments are sacred, but this one is very special because your words
are deeds.Your words and
your deeds should match up perfectly every day.If they do not, you are bearing false witness and violating
this Commandment.

In
other words, this Commandment does not just mean one shall not give false
testimony in a court of law.It
means much, much more.For
example, it means one must not:

a.
Spread false rumors.

b.
Lie or exaggerate to make a point.

c.
Cover up or obscure the truth by telling half-truths or omitting important
information.

d.
Advertise falsely, which is extremely common.For example, an ad may feature a lovely young, scantily
clothed lady who has no interest at all in the product or service, but is just
being paid to look pretty and sexy.This is just a subtle way of lying to consumers.

e.
Lying about money, as is done by the government when they waste it, and as is
done by many individuals, as well.

f.
Lying with the body - with words, or a smile, a gesture, a glance, seduction,
and in other ways.

g.
Lying to oneself.This is a fine
line.Sometimes one is caught in
negative thinking, and one tries to substitute positive thoughts instead.This is not exactly lying, but rather
trying to control the mind.However, many people lie to themselves that things are not the way they
really are.This can be a subtle
form of self-hypnosis or brainwashing in an attempt to put yourself to sleep to
the truth.

An
exception, perhaps, is the use of prayers or affirmations such as the 23rd
Psalm of David.This psalm, along
with others, can help stop negative thinking and help calm the mind.

Lying
can be very subtle.It can mean
leading a person on in a relationship with gifts or praise, when they are
false.It can mean telling a child
a scary story just to keep the child in line.Learning to tell the truth and live the truth is a lifelong
struggle for everyone!Let no one
think they are above the fray, so to speak.

This
is an interesting Commandment because most people do not know the word covet.It does not just mean to envy.To covet meansto want to steal from another.This fascinating Commandment means you
should not seek or desire to take away or steal that which
belongs to others.It is
about integrity of desire in relation to action.

For
example, let us say your neighbor has a lovely wife or husband.It is perfectly okay to desire that you
should also have a lovely wife or husband.However, it is coveting
if you secretly or openly would like to take away your neighbor’s husband or
wife, and have him or her for yourself.This is a fine distinction, but an important one.

An important political example.Some
politicians tell the voters that it is “not fair” that a few people own big
houses and drive fancy cars, while most of the people do not.These politicians spend their time
stirring up envy and hatred for the rich.This is about coveting, and they encourage it.

This
is called class warfare talk in the
United States, and it is based on the writings of Karl Marx and Frederick
Engels.These two 19th
century political scientists based their entire world view on the concept that
progress in human society is all about a class struggle, and hatred, envy and
coveting between the rich and the poor.It is the theoretical basis of Marxism, communism and socialism.

However,
this rhetoric violates the Tenth Commandment that warns us not to desire the
possessions or wealth of our neighbors.Indeed, teaching this totally anti-biblical attitude tends to divide the
nation, and stirs up anger, resentment, hatred and often ultimately violence.

The
truth, by the way, is that some people work hard, so they have more money.Some are lazy, so they have less.Some also develop their talents, so
they earn more.Others would
rather drink wine all night, so they tend to earn less.

Instead
of stealing the possessions from the wealthy, Abraham Lincoln and many other
great men said to teach the poor how to become wealthy.This works wherever it is tried, even
in modern Red China to some degree.Yet it is not taught in high schools and colleges, which is truly a
shame.For more on this important
subject, read Capitalism and Freedom
on this website.

Additional information:The
Tenth Commandment is quite specific, unlike all the other Commandments.It specifically mentions the neighbor’s
wife, maidservant, manservant, animals, or anything else that belongs to your
neighbor.Perhaps these are
spelled out to emphasize how inclusive and important it is not to covet.Perhaps this is why class warfare talk
is so pernicious.

TWO NEW COMMANDMENTS

I hope it does not seem too arrogant to suggest
that we need a few more commandments.Here they are:

IX. DO NOT RAPE

Rape
is widespread all over the world.It is cultural in some nations.In others, notably America and Europe, it may be part of an effort by a
foreign government to destroy the fabric of the society.After all, it destroys women’s lives in
half a dozen ways, infects their husbands and boyfriends with diseases, and
more.

The
raping must stop.Anyone caught
doing it pays dearly, I am told, even if the legal system does not punish the
crime hard enough.To read more
about this subject, please read Rape and Healing Rape on this website.

The
word rape has broader meanings such as to violate, to steal, to humiliate or to
“rip off” another.All this may be
included in the Commandment not to rape.

XII. DO NOT START WARS

The
days of unrestricted war on earth need to end.Those who start wars pay dearly, I am told.There is no reason for aggression
against another sovereign nation.No nation on earth needs the territory, people or resources of another
nation.This needs to be taught to
everyone on earth.So it does not
matter what your Queron teaches.Nor does it matter what Karl Marx
taught.There must be no more
aggression against other nations or other people you disagree with!

The
word war can be expanded, in this
Commandment, but that is not the intent of it.People sometimes start wars with their family, their
friends, their employers or employees, and so on.However, at times, these are needed to bring to light the
truth, for example, or to make an example of someone so that others will not go
astray.So this Commandment only
applies to physical, cyber, electronic, psychotronic
and other outright and unprovoked attacks on the life and property and
territory that belongs to others.

OTHER TOPICS

THE ENTIRE BASIS FOR
WESTERN CIVILIZATION

Although
some will disagree, the Ten Commandments of Moses are the basis for modern
Western civilization.Please allow
me to explain.These Commandments form
a basic legal code that protects the innocent, punishes the guilty, establishes
a right to own and control private property, allows for self-defense, forces
people to treat each other civilly, and more.

In
so doing, the Commandments of Moses form the groundwork for the wonderful legal
system we have today in many Western nations that protects those who are honest
and decent, and hopefully jails those who lie, cheat, steal, murder, rape and
otherwise harm society and its citizens.I believe this is the “big picture” concerning the Ten
Commandments.It is a marvelous
legal code to guide modern man in his quest for an advanced society.

Many
people have forgotten this aspect of the Ten Commandments, though not the
founders of America, who inscribed them all over the Supreme Court building in
Washington, DC, in every courtroom in the land, and in most early government
buildings, as well.The fact that
the Ten Commandments are now banned from being displayed in public schools and
courtrooms of America, for example, is totally insane.

The
argument for this is that they are a “religious symbol”, when they are nothing
of the sort.They are the basis
for a legal system that has produced a sane society, and they should be
hallowed, not banned.

One
could argue that the real cause of the downfall of some nations today,
including the communist nations, is that they do not abide by the these
Commandments.They
institutionalize lying, cheating, stealing and even murdering.If this ever happens in America, she,
too, will go down.I believe that
to the extent that a nation elevates the Ten Commandments, and it citizens
actually practice them, that nation will prosper.

This
is not because that nation is “favored by God”, but because the Ten
Commandments are basic legal principles needed for an orderly and prosperous
society.This, once again, is why
class warfare talk by the Democratic Party in the USA is so damaging to
everyone.These politicians repeat
over and over that their opposition just favors the rich.Not so.The opposition to class warfare favors freedom, and allowing
people to accumulate wealth if they earn it legally and properly.

THE COMMANDMENTS ARE
NOT A “RELIGIOUS” SYSTEM

This
article focuses on the Ten Commandments as a logical and common sense system of
simple rules for living.A huge
mistake, in my opinion, is to just associate them with Judaism or Christianity,
as is the case today.It is true that
Moses was a Hebrew, but that does not mean that: 1) they are religious in
nature, 2) that one must be Jewish or Christian to follow them, or 3) that one
must be religious at all to appreciate them.

Many
secular people dislike the Bible, which they consider outdated, bigoted or
paternalistic, and they throw away the Ten Commandments as well.Then they wonder why their children
lie, cheat, steal, do drugs, and their lives end up in ruins.Society needs basic rules of conduct
and intent.The Twelve
Commandments are a simple moral code, not a religious order or religion.They are designed to help you live your
life as happily and joyously as possible, with as few problems as possible.

THE TWELVE COMMANDMENTS
AS A WAY TO GAUGE A PERSON AND A SOCIETY

The
word commandment in Hebrew also can
mean a type of gauge, much like the
gasoline gauge in an automobile.We can thus use the Twelve Commandments as a way to gauge or measure of
how well a person is living life.

Those
who live a simple, honest, clean life do not always come out “ahead” in
society’s terms such as wealth or perhaps “love”.However, following the Twelve Commandments properly is still
a wonderful way to gauge your life.

You
can also gauge or measure the righteousness of asociety by noting how well that society and its people, in
general, practice the Twelve Commandments.Do the people worship false gods such as sex, money, lust,
fame, etc.?Do people swear by God
and then disobey their oath of allegiance, for example, to the US Constitution
which most have not even read?Do
people balance their lives by taking off a day of work each week, rather than
working too much or slacking off too much?

Furthermore,
is marriage between a man and a woman held sacred, or do many people cheat on
their spouses?Must you lock up
everything to prevent it from being stolen?Are rape and murder common?Do people respect truth, or do they lie to each other and to
themselves? And does the society pit the rich against the poor with its taxes
and other policies, causing envy and covetousness?Evaluating communities and nations in this way may be
extremely valuable.It is a far
more spiritual, and often practical, means to discern the truth about a society
than simply measuring its wealth or its technology.